The summer of signings at West Ham so far suggests Sam Allardyce is prepared to trust a bit more in youth to deliver fast free flowing football.
The fact the average age of the five new signings is just under 24 shows a shift away from the perception the manager prefers players with proven pedigree to steady the side.
Whether this move has come from the board taking more control over transfers, or from a genuine change of mentality by Allardyce, will be best demonstrated in the attitude towards the Development Squad.
The manager has been reluctant to blood young talent in the first team in recent seasons, almost predominantly opting to give them game time in cup matches.
But with a shortage of left sided options, there may be openings for youngsters to prove their worth.
Players like the pacey Matthias Fanimo and 20-year-old Dan Potts will be looking to act as assuring understudies to the as yet untested Aaron Cresswell.
In central defence, Leo Chambers has been spoken of for a few seasons now. Still only 17, he has been already featured in pre-season, and has been included in the first team squad to travel over to New Zealand.
It’s unclear if 19-year-old Diego Poyet has been brought to be considered immediately for first team duties.
But certainly players like Sebastian Lletget, George Moncur and Danny Whitehead will be pushing to break into the first team after receiving increasing attention in the Development Squad and out on loan.
Options up front look limited for those in Nick Haycock’s side however, with Enner Valencia and Mauro Zárate coming in. It means it could be another season of frustration for the promising Elliott Lee, despite already having scored a brace in pre-season.
Another hoping for a shot at the first team will be 18-year-old Jaanai Gordon who was brought in from Peterborough United at the end of December.
If either striker were to make an appearance, it would hopefully be down to merit and signal an exciting future, rather than a desperate injury crisis.
A rich variety of resources appear to be at Allardyce’s disposal, and all that remains is to see whether he chooses to invest in them.
